The Modern Worlwind
by AngelE777
Summary: Kagome returns to the modern world to take exams and to go to a party hosted by Hojoukun, while, unbeknownst to Kagome, Inuyasha goes down the well to stay in her time during the new moon. The LAST chapter is now up!
1. To the Present

Hi, here's my next Inuyasha fiction, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

The Modern Worl-wind 

__

_Chapter 1: To the Present_

"What do you think you're doing, you can't leave!"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I _have_ to take this round of exams or I might be held back!"

"How can a stupid test hold you back from hunting Naraku?"

She rolls her eyes and says, "It's an expression, Inuyasha, it means, oh, it's hopeless."

She turns to Sango and says, "Sango-chan, can I please borrow Kirara again?"

"Of course, Kagome-chan, good luck on your exams!"

"Thanks, Sango-chan."

She turns to the group and says, "Sango-chan, Shippou-chan, Miroku-sama, _Inuyasha_, I'll be back in a week."

"A whole week?!"

"I'll miss you, don't forget about me!" 

"Have a safe trip, Kagome-sama."

"See you then, Kagome-chan!"

She jumps on the waiting Kirara and says, "Don't try to follow me, Inuyasha, or I'll say it.  Bye, everyone!"

Kirara sets off, while Inuyasha stands in place yelling angrily after them about Naraku, the shikon shards, and Kagome's alleged stupidity. 

Soon after emerging from the well in her own time, Kagome drops on her bed and smiles as she thinks, 'Ah, the comforts of the modern world!'

She hugs a pillow and her smile broadens.  Her eyes widen as she realizes that she needs to study.  She sits up and clenches her fist as she shakes her head yes determinedly.  She drops the pillow and walks to her desk and sits down.  She glances over the list of assignments gathered by her mother and groans in disbelief and despair.  

She drops her head on her table and, in a dejected tone, says, "How am I _ever_ going to learn _all_ of this?  I'm _doomed!_"

"Come on, we're not waiting around for her."

"Inuyasha, is that advisable?  After all, Kagome-sama is the only one amongst us that can sense the shikon shards."

Inuyasha turns to Miroku with an annoyed expression and says, "Keh, we don't need that, I can smell that disgusting Naraku."

In a quieter tone and looking away, Miroku continues, "But, she can help find other shards."

More angry than before, Inuyasha shouts, "You knew I could hear that!"

Miroku shrugs but remains silent.  

Inuyasha continues on, and, after the other members of the group stare momentarily at each other, deciding what to do, they proceed to follow him. 

Her eyelids start to droop and she yawns loudly.  She looks at the clock and thinks, '3 am, already?'  Realizing she can't stay awake any longer, she returns to the bed and falls asleep almost instantly after dropping down on the bed.  

"Kagome, Kagome-chan."

She opens her eyes slightly at the sound of her name, but feels too tired to move.  She feels a hand upon her back and uses all of her energy to turn to move, and sees her mother looking down at her with a smile.

"Welcome back, Kagome."

"Thanks."

"Are you able to go to school today?"

She forces herself to sit up and nods her head yes as she wipes her eyes.

As she stretches her arms she says, "Yeah, I need to learn all I can to prepare for the exams next week."

"I know how hard you're trying, Kagome, try not to push yourself too much."

Kagome smiles and says, "Thank you."

Shippou looks to Sango and says, "Sango, how much longer until Kagome comes back?"

Sango smiles and says, "There's only been one sunrise since she left, you'll have to wait some more."

He sighs first but then says in an annoyed tone, "I bet it's Inuyasha's fault she left."

Inuyasha turns around and shows a clenched fist to Shippou as he shouts, "Wanna say that again, brat?"

Shippou cowers behind Sango and shouts, "Eeep!  Help me, Sango!"

"Inuyasha, leave him alone," she says.

"Keh," he answers as he crosses his arms and turns around again.

Miroku looks to Inuyasha and says, "Inuyasha, have you planned for today, considering what tonight is?"

He mumbles in response.

Miroku shakes his head and says, "I'm assuming that's a 'no.'"

Pointedly looking away from Inuyasha, Miroku continues, "You _could_ go to visit Kagome-sama in her country."

"Kagome-chan!" the trio of girls shout.

"Hi, everyone, I'm back," she answers with a smile. 

"I'm so glad you're over your pneumonia."

"Thanks," she says, finding it hard not to roll her eyes. 

They start to walk together to class, but are interrupted by a voice calling for Kagome.

"Higurashi!"

All four turn around to see a smiling Hojou. 

He stands before Kagome and says, "Higurashi, you're feeling better, that's great!"

"Thanks, Hojou-kun."

"Are you able to come tonight, Higurashi?"

"Where?"

The three girls pull her aside and say, "A party, Houjou-kun's having a party!  He's been asking about you all week because he wants you there."

'A party?' she thinks.

"Keh, you're probably just saying that so I won't be around to stop you."

Feigning innocence, Miroku says, "Stop me?  I have no idea of what you speak!"

"Yeah, right."

"Hoshi-sama, you better not have any ulterior motives in this!" Sango says with a furious expression.

"Everyone is accusing me today!" Miroku says in a hurt tone.  
"It's not hard to tell why," Shippou says knowingly. 

"Even though I don't want to, I have to agree with Hoshi-sama, it would be easier to keep your secret that way, and I'm sure Kagome-chan won't mind."

"You should go, Kagome-chan, it's been so long since we've all gone out together!"

"That's true!"  
"Please come with us, Kagome-chan."

She wavers, remembering all the studying that needs to be done.

"I don't know, I'm so behind."

"We can help you."  
"Yep, we want to study with you, Kagome-chan."

"Thanks so much, everyone!" she says with a smile.

"Of course, Kagome-chan!"

Kagome turns around to Hojou and says, "Ok, Hojou-kun, I'll be there."

He smiles broadly and says, "Really, Higurashi!  That's great!"

She looks back at her friends and thinks, 'It'll be nice to relax, I'm looking forward to this.'

"I know _I _would go if I could go to Kagome's country."

"I think it would be fun to see Kagome-chan's country, too."

Miroku shakes his head and says, "Yes, I agree."

"Fine, fine, I'll go if it will shut all of you up!"

While the other three stand, at first, surprised, and then stifling laughter, Inuyasha stomps off in the direction of the well.


	2. Plans

Hello!  Here's the next chapter, I'm hoping to release the next one on Monday (maybe Sunday if I can finish by then), enjoy!

**_kitkatfox, Yuki the Rat, yoursugarpacket, Deadly Tears, & MoonFire_**: Thanks for reviewing, hope you like the remainder of the story!

**_Torrid_**: Thank you for the suggestion.  I've tried using a separating line in this chapter when the story shifts location.  Do you think that this helps?  

**_Arial265_**: Glad you're enjoying it.  I'm not sure what Hojou will go through yet, but thanks for the ideas!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 2: Plans 

Inuyasha leaps easily out of the well and exits the wellhouse.  He scans the lawn of the shrine and sniffs the air.  Kagome's scent lingers in the air, but he can tell that she hasn't been here for a while, probably since the morning.  He is about to jump up to her room when he notices movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Inuyasha Onii-chan!"

He turns and sees Kagome's younger brother.

"Yo."

"You're probably looking for Onee-chan, she's not here right now.  She's probably somewhere with her friends."

Inuyasha remains silent but nods his head yes in acknowledgment. 

He is about to set off to search for her when Souta says, "Inuyasha Onii-chan."

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Kagome places her hand above her eyes to shade them as she looks up at the sky.

'Ah, what a beautiful day, blue skies and warm,' she thinks.

She looks back at her friends and smiles.  

"Kagome-chan, I'm so glad that you're coming tonight."

"Thanks, I'm looking forward to it."

"You're not inviting that rude, possessive, violent boy, are you?"

"Shh!  Don't say that to her."

Kagome blushes and says, "No, he won't be coming."

She thinks, 'Inuyasha, it would be nice to spend time with him, but, well, he isn't here, and besides, who _knows _what he might do.  But, still...'

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Inuyasha looks to Souta but says nothing, waiting for him to speak.

"Onee-chan might get angry if you find her with her friends looking like that."

Inuyasha looks at himself and then gives Souta a confused look.

"What are you talking about?  I look fine."

"Inuyasha Onii-chan, no one here has dog ears or dresses like that."

"Keh, who cares?"

"Well, I still think…"

"Souta, Inuyasha!"

Each turns and sees Kagome's mother motioning for them to come.  They walk towards her and Souta gives her a hug.

"Welcome home!"

"Thank you Souta. And welcome, Inuyasha."

"Thanks."

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"I have an idea, why don't we eat dinner together beforehand at WcDonald's, and then all go together to the party?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"I think so too, what about you, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome nods her head yes and smiles as she says, "It sound like fun, let's do it."

"It's agreed then."

"I wonder if Hojou-kun will ask Kagome-chan to dance tonight?!"  
"That'd be so exciting!"

"And romantic!"

"Do you think you'd dance with Hojou-kun, Kagome-chan?"

'Dance, with Hojou-kun?  I know who I'd want to dance with…' Kagome thinks.

"Kagome-chan?"

Startled from her thoughts, Kagome says, "I'm not really sure, after all…"

"Kagome-chan probably wants to dance with the other boy."

Embarrassed, Kagome blushes and says, "No, I…"

Her friends laugh while Kagome looks away embarrassed.

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"It's nice of you to visit, Inuyasha, I'm sure Kagome will be glad to see you."

Before Inuyasha can respond, Souta shouts out, "Can we buy Inuyasha some clothes?"

"Clothes?" she answers as she looks at both of them.

"Yeah, Inuyasha Onii-chan wants to look for Onee-chan, but I told him it wasn't a good idea in those clothes, and because of his ears!"

Kagome's mother gushes, "Ah, but his ears are _adorable_!"

Inuyasha tries his best to not roll his eyes. 

"Please can we, it'd probably make Onee-chan happy, too!"

'It would make Kagome happy?' Inuyasha thinks.

Kagome's mother turns to Inuyasha and says, "What do you think, would you like to do it?"

Embarrassed, Inuyasha turns his face away from her before he says, "Ok."

Kagome's mother smiles and says, "Well, you two have convinced me, just let me tell Jii-chan, and we'll go to buy Inuyasha an outfit."

She opens the door, steps inside and shouts, "Jii-chan, we're going to the mall, tell Kagome-chan we'll be back later, and we're getting take out for dinner!"

From another room, he answers, "All right, I'll tell her."

"Thanks, good bye!"

"Good bye!"

She is about to leave when she stops suddenly, walks back in, and rummages through a closet.  When she walks out again, she hands Inuyasha a hat.

She smiles and says, "To cover your ears, just in case."

He responds by placing it on his head.  

She looks at both Inuyasha and Souta and says, "Ok, let's go now."

The three walk towards the car.  Inuyasha eyes it suspiciously as they approach, but noticing the others' lack of concern, and not wanting to be called a coward, he gets inside on the passenger side. 

"We're off!" Kagome's mother says.


	3. Shopping and Dining

Hi, here's the next chapter, enjoy!

**_Thankat0s_**: Thanks for reviewing, hope you like the rest.

**_Arial265, Yuki the Rat, & yoursugarpacket_**: Thank you for reviewing this chapter, too!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the rightful property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

_Chapter 3: Shopping and Dining_

Kagome walks into the house and shouts, "I'm home!"

Jii-chan slowly approaches and says, "Welcome back, Kagome."

"Thanks, Jii-chan."

She smiles and then displays a look of surprise.

"It's quiet in here."

He laughs and says, "That's because they went to the mall."

"Oh, ok."

'I wonder why they went there, guess Souta needed something,' she thinks.

He starts to walk away when he stops and turns around and says, "Oh, we'll be having take out tonight."

Remembering her earlier conversation with her friends, she answers, "I'm sorry, I already have plans for dinner, I'm going with friends, then we were planning on going to a party at Hojou-kun's house."

"Hojou-kun, ah, yes, he's the boy who always comes by to ask how you're doing and brings you gifts."

Kagome nods her head yes in response.

He thinks for a moment, and then continues, "Well, since it's a Saturday and Hojou-kun seems like a good young man, I think it's all right for you to go."

"Thanks, Jii-chan!" 

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"Here we are!" Kagome's mother shouts as she turns off the car's engine.  The three exit and Inuyasha follows the other two as they walk into the store.  

Souta looks back at Inuyasha and says, "I've seen boys go in here that are about Nee-chan's age, so I think this is a good place."

Inuyasha remains silent, unsure what to say, but Kagome's mother says, "I think you're right, Souta."

Amidst confused stares from other customers at Inuyasha's unusual outfit, the three search for new clothes for Inuyasha.  

'The clothing in Kagome's country is so different, they wouldn't be nearly as good as my clothes if a youkai shows up.  But, I already decided, I'm going to do this.' Inuyasha thinks.

Souta and Kagome's mother parade outfits in front of Inuyasha, but he disapproves of them with confused, blank, or disgusted looks. 

Souta then holds up a pair of jeans and says, "Inuyasha, all the boys here have a pair of these, they're called jeans."

Kagome's mother nods her head in agreement, but then walks away quickly and returns with a red t-shirt with a design in blue of two samurai posed to battle.

She places the shirt above the jeans and says, "What do you think of this, Inuyasha?"

He smiles and says, "Sure."

Souta and Kagome's mother look at each other and smile and nod their heads yes.  

With some coaching from Souta, Inuyasha tries on the outfit, and all three are pleased with it, so they decide to buy it. 

They purchase a pair of sneakers, which Souta shows Inuyasha how to tie, and socks, and then exit the mall.  

As they head towards the car, Kagome's mother says, "You can change back at our home, ok?"

"Ok, that's fine."

'I wonder what Kagome will really think when she sees me in her country's clothes?' Inuyasha thinks.

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After having searched through her whole wardrobe and deciding on a yellow miniskirt and pale pink blouse, Kagome brushes her hair in front of a mirror in the bathroom. As she finishes, she smiles at her reflection.  She glances out the doorway at a clock and realizes that she'll need to get going if she doesn't want to be late. She places the brush on the sink and quickly walks to leave.

As she passes him, she says, "I'm headed out now, Jii-chan, I'll be back by curfew."

He smiles and says, "Have a nice evening, Kagome."

"Thanks!" she says as she walks out the door. 

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After having stopped to get take-out, the three return to the house.

As she enters, Kagome's mother says, "Jii-chan, we're back."

He walks towards her and smiles as he says, "Welcome back."

However, when he notices Inuyasha, he says, sounding surprised, "I didn't know he was here, too."

Kagome's mother thinks for a moment but then says, "Oh, I guess I didn't tell you, sorry about that."

Jii-chan shrugs but says nothing.  

"Is Kagome here to join us for dinner?"

"No, she was having dinner with friends."

"Hmm, I see."

'I guess I can wait longer, but if she's not back by the time we finish, I'll go look for her.  I hope I won't have transformed by then.  Well, probably I won't,' Inuyasha thinks.

"Inuyasha, why don't you join us for dinner?"

"Ok."

She hands him the bag and says, "You can change in Souta's room and then come down."

"Sure," he says as he takes the bag handles.  

When he finishes changing, he walks back and they start to eat.

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"Oh, Kagome-chan, that outfit looks so cute on you!"

"Thanks, yours looks nice, too."

"Does everyone know what they want?"

They all shake their heads yes and then step to the counter and make their orders.  After they get their food, they walk with their trays to their usual table.  While they eat, they talk about school and boys, but mostly about the upcoming party.

"It's been a long time since Hojou-kun had a party, I remember how upset he was that Kagome-chan couldn't come because of scarlet fever."

Kagome suppresses a sigh but thinks, 'At least that one is an illness that actually exists, Jii-chan has been making up strange ones lately.'

Despite her excitement about tonight, Kagome's thoughts return to Inuyasha.

'If he came and acted the way he does sometimes, when he is nice and considerate, that would be a dream come true,' she thinks. 

The conversation continues until they finish eating.

As they dispose of their trash, Kagome says, "Shall we be going?"

"Sure!"

"Ok!"

"Sounds good!"

The three walk out of the building and make their way to Hojou's house.

When they arrive, Hojou opens the door for them, and smiles when he sees Kagome.

"Higurashi, everyone, thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting us," Kagome says.

"My pleasure, Higurashi.  Come in, come in, everyone."

They follow him inside.

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As they are finishing dinner, Kagome's mother looks to Jii-chan and says, "When did Kagome say she was coming back?"

"By curfew," he answers.

"By curfew? How could dinner take that long?"

"Ah, I just remembered, Kagome asked to go to a party afterwards.  It's going to be at the house of that young man who comes here with gifts for her and asks how she's doing."

'Brings her gifts?!' Inuyasha thinks.

"Oh dear, this complicates things," she says as she looks at Inuyasha.  Her look changes suddenly from worry to surprise.

"My goodness, Inuyasha, what's happening to you?"

'Shit, I'm transforming at a time like this!' Inuyasha thinks.

"Don't worry, it's normal, I change into a human once a month."

"Wow," Souta says with his mouth agape.

"I have to go."

Kagome's mother looks to Inuyasha and smiles as she says, "Hojou-kun lives six blocks to the east in a Western style home.  Good luck."

He grins and says, "Thanks," before hastily putting on the sneakers and running out the door.


	4. The Party

Hi, here's another chapter.

**_Arial265_**: Thanks for reviewing again, glad that you're enjoying the story!

**_Dragon Pearl1, inuyashakagomefan, & comicfancat_**: Thank you for your comments, hope you like the rest!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the rightful property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 4: The Party 

Hojou leads Kagome and her friends into the home. 

Kagome looks around and thinks, 'Wow, there are a lot of people here."

Without understanding why, she finds herself looking through the crowd for Inuyasha.

'Silly girl, there's no way he's here. You came to relax with friends!' Kagome thinks.

"How cool, you got a new stereo since your last party!"

Hojou shakes his head yes and says, "Yeah, my parents got it for me."

Looking reluctant, Hojou says, "I'm going to go greet some more people, I'll meet up with you later, ok?"

"All right, Hojou-kun," Kagome says.

"See you then!"

"Ok."

"Sure."

After pausing a moment, Hojou walks away to greet other guests, while Kagome and her friends mingle with classmates, soon being enveloped in the throng.

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Inuyasha looks around, confused and angry.  

"Most of these houses are this 'Western' style!" he shouts in frustration.

He lifts his face to the air, but cannot seem to pick up Kagome's scent.

"Damn this human form!" he shouts.

"Hey," a voice calls out.

He turns in the direction of the voice and sees two girls and one boy, all about Kagome's age.

"What?" Inuyasha says, expressing his annoyance at their disturbance of his search.

"Are you looking for Hojou's party?"

"Yeah."

"We're going there, too.  It's that house there."

Inuyasha looks in the direction that the girl pointed, and then back at her as he says, "Ok, thanks."

He starts running in that direction, leaving the three teenagers wondering why he was in such a hurry.

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"Everybody's here tonight!"

"It's our precious Saturday night, no one's going to miss this!"

"Yeah."

"You don't think this will put too much stress on your body, considering you just recovered, do you, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome smiles and says, "I'm full of energy tonight!"

"That's great!"  
Kagome nods her head yes in response. 

"Oh!  I _love_ this song!"

"Me, too, it's awesome!"

"Yeah, it's the _greatest_!"

Embarrassed that she doesn't recognize it, Kagome thinks, 'It must have been released while I was in the Sengoku Jidai."

"Don't you like this song, Kagome-chan?"

Deciding that, even after the little she's heard, that she does, she nods her head yes and says, "It's great."

The four start to move to the music slightly, so Kagome says, "Let's dance."

Before her friends can respond, Hojou approaches and says, "Higurashi?"

The four girls turn to see Hojou smiling as he looks at Kagome.

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When Inuyasha arrives at the house, he notices that the door is slightly open and opens it further to walk through.  As he enters, his senses are flooded by bright lights and loud noise.

'_This_ is a party?' he thinks.

He shrugs, remembering his original purpose for being here.  

'That damn Hobo, Hoko, whatever his name is!' he thinks.

As he begins to search, even with his pathetic human hearing and the blasting noise, he can still hear conversations, and he is surprised because more than one of them contains questions about him.

"Who is that boy?"

"Does that guy go to our school?"

"He couldn't be our age, maybe he's someone's older brother."

'Keh, who cares what these people think, I have to find her,' he decides as he pushes his way through.

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"Hojou-kun?" Kagome says.

He blushes slightly as he says, "Are – are you enjoying yourself, Higurashi?"

"Yeah, thanks for holding the party."

He places his hand on the back of his head and says, "I'm glad, I didn't know if you'd be here, I was worried you might fall ill again.  Of course, I would be upset that you were sick, not because you weren't at my party, well, I guess both, but definitely more because you were ill!"

Kagome's friends giggle while Kagome thinks, 'Sheesh.'

"Kagome-chan, like you said, let's dance!"

'Dance, with Hojou-kun, but - what am I thinking, it's not like I'd _just_ be dancing with Hojou-kun, it's all of us together!' Kagome thinks. 

"Sounds good to me."

"Sure."

Hojou looks at Kagome with a slightly nervous look and says, "Higurashi?" 

"Sure."

"Great!" he answers.

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'Damn it, where is she?  Is she, no, she's never even mentioned that moron, it _can't_ be!' Inuyasha thinks as he looks around at clusters of teens in different rooms of the house.

Because of his human form and the number of people, he soon realizes that he won't be able to find her on scent alone. 

"Hey, cutie."

Knowing that it isn't Kagome's voice, he turns and sees a girl smiling at him.

"What?" he says.

"Are you here alone?"

"I'm looking for Kagome."

The girl frowns and says angrily, "She must be your girlfriend if you call her by her given name like that."

'Girlfriend, what's that?  Well, Kagome is my friend and a girl,' he thinks.

"Yeah, she is.  Do you know where she is?"

"She's over there, dancing with Hojou-kun," she says with a grin as she points.

Inuyasha turns and sees Kagome smiling broadly as she dances, and a boy next to her, also dancing, and smiling as he watches Kagome.

'Kagome,' Inuyasha thinks.


	5. A Misunderstanding

Hello again!  Here's the second-to-last chapter, enjoy!

**_Arial265_**:   Here's the answer to your question, hope you like it!

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 5: A Misunderstanding 

'I'm having so much fun, it's nice to unwind with my friends like this,' Kagome thinks as she dances. She looks at the faces of her friends, and they all smile.  She turns her face forward again and, suddenly, stops moving.

'Inuyasha?  It can't be, but,' she thinks as she watches in surprise as the person turns around and walks away.

"Kagome-chan, is something wrong?"

'It must have been my imagination, that person was human and wearing clothes from this era but – wait, it's the night of the new moon!' she thinks.

"Higurashi?"

She quickly looks at the four confused teens and says, "I'm sorry, I just need to get something to drink, I'll be right back."

"I can get that for you, Higurashi."

'Hojou-kun, oh no, what if that was Inuyasha and he took this the wrong way!?' she thinks.

"Oh, that's all right, thanks though," she says as she quickly makes her way through the crowd, trying to follow the path of the boy that looked like Inuyasha.

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People yell at Inuyasha as he roughly pushes them out of the way, but he doesn't care, he needs to go outside, to leave this place.  He finally reaches the door and opens it with such force that it crashes against the wall. 

He is about to step out when he hears a voice.

"Well, looks like your Kagome's not a 'one man woman,' huh?"

Inuyasha whirls around angrily and sees the girl who had annoyed him earlier.

"Do you ever _shut up_?" he says before turning around and stepping out onto the porch, not caring if she has a response.  He leaves the door open and moves to the lawn.  

'What is the _matter_ with me? If it were that whimpy wolf, I'd charge in and get Kagome the hell away from him with a second thought!  Why did I walk away from a stupid, puny _human_?' he thinks.

He saddens as he realizes, 'Of course, it's because he _is_ a human, like Kagome.  The whimpy wolf is an annoying youkai and I – I'm a half-breed. Obviously, Kagome would want to be with one of her own kind.  And, as angry as I am that she's with me and him, I'm just the same, after all.  As important as Kagome is to me, I can't give up my feelings for Kikyou, either.'

Feeling foolish that he had tried to impress Kagome with the clothes from her country, he is about to take off the sneakers and throw them away, when he hears a voice that he had not expected.

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"Inuyasha, that's you, isn't it?" Kagome says as she walks towards him.

He looks away from her and says, "Keh, so what if it is?"

Appearing embarrassed, she looks downward and says, "I – I didn't expect to see you here."

He snickers and says, "Yeah, that's obvious."

'He did misinterpret what happened!' she realizes.

To his surprise, she takes hold of his arm and says, "It's not what you think, Inuyasha!"

He looks at her anxious face but then away again, unable to bare that expression.

He remains silent, so she moves so that they are facing each other again and says, "Inuyasha, I'm telling you, I don't like Hojou-kun at all!"

Confused he says, "Then why were you dancing with him?"

"I _wasn't_, I promise.  My friends and I were dancing, and Hojou-kun joined us."

His expression brightens, but then becomes serious, "So you're not going to let that Hoto idiot court you then?"

She steps forward and, to his shock, embraces him and rests her head on him as she says, "Of course not."

Ashamed, Inuyasha says, "I – I'm sorry I acted like that.  I shouldn't have, especially because…"

She holds him tighter and says, "I know, I understand about that."

Grateful, he embraces her in response.

Soon after, they break from the embrace and smile at each other for a moment.

"Kagome-chan?"

Kagome blushes as she turns to see her friends, and Hojou, on the porch. 

"Oh my gosh, is that the boy?!"

"Is it, is it him?!"

"I think it is!"

"Higurashi?" Hojou says with a confused and concerned expression.

Kagome hurriedly turns to Inuyasha and says, "We have to go _now_!"

Kagome turns back to them and says, "Sorry, I'm really not feeling well, my – friend - came to pick me up!"

The three laugh and say, "Have a nice time going home with your friend!"

Hojou turns white as the realization dawns on him.

Kagome blushes as she turns back to look at Inuyasha.

"Are you ready to go?" she says.

Confused, Inuyasha says, "You don't want to stay longer?"

Her blush deepens as she answers, "Well, I thought it might be fun earlier, but I realize now I'd rather spend time with just you."

He looks away embarrassed, his face slightly red, and says, "Is – is that so? Well, I don't like that noise and bright lights in there anyway, so, ok."

She smiles at him and says, "Shall we go then?"

"Ok."

While Kagome looks ahead, Inuyasha turns his face so that he is looking at Hojou, and grins broadly at him, enjoying the expression on Hojou's face.

He turns his face back to Kagome, and changes his expression to a slight smile.  She takes hold of his hand and they walk away from the house, leaving a giggling few girls and a crushed boy in their wake.


	6. An Evening Together Part I

Hi, this was going to be the last chapter, but I decided to split it into two chapters, so there'll be one more after this.  Enjoy!

**_Arial265, Dragon Pearl1, inuyashakagomefan, and comicfancat_**: Thanks for reviewing this chapter, too, glad you're enjoying it!

**_Cyber1, ejqHorseLady, and sushi-girl777_**: Thank you for your reviews!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 6: An Evening Together Part I 

Hand-in-hand, each slightly blushing, Inuyasha and Kagome walk together through the brightly lit and lively streets. 

After a period of silence, Kagome reddens slightly and looks away from him as she says, "I – I like the outfit you're wearing.  How did you get that?"

Surprised and proud, Inuyasha says, "I went to someplace called the mall with your mother and brother today."

"Ah, so you were here then.  I thought it was just the two of them who went!"

He looks away and says, "So – you really like it?"

She smiles as she looks at him.

"Of course, the color and samurai design are perfect for you!"

He blushes and continues to look away from her as he says, "Is that so?"

She nods her head yes in response.  Both become quiet again, unsure what to say next.

Soon after, to Inuyasha's surprise, Kagome stops and looks in a window.

She looks back to him and says, "We should get a disposable camera, it would be fun to take photographs tonight!"

Confused, Inuyasha says, "Dispos-a-ble camrah, photografts?"

Kagome thinks for a moment and then says, "I'm sure you've seen plenty of paintings, right?"

"Yeah."

"A photograph is like using a machine to paint an exact picture of whatever you want.  You take the camera, look through the lens at what you want a picture of, and press a button.  After you take a lot of shots, you bring it to a store, and you get back a set of photographs!"

Kagome giggles as she notices Inuyasha's gaping mouth. 

"Let's go inside," Kagome says as she opens the door.  She steps inside and Inuyasha follows.  As he stands by, she picks one out and purchases it at the cashier. 

As they exit, Kagome turns to Inuyasha and says, "Smile!"

"Smile?"

She takes a picture and Inuyasha swipes at the camera, knocking it onto the ground.

"Inuyasha!"

"Didn't you _see_ that?  It _attacked_ me with some sort of lightening rod!"

Kagome sighs and thinks, 'Forgot to tell him about the flash.'

She picks it up and inspects it, and is pleased to see that it still looks functional.

She turns to him and says, "Inuyasha, it's night, so there's not a lot of light."

"Yeah, obviously."

"The light you saw is called a flash.  It's used for pictures at night or indoors where there isn't bright light."

He shouts, "Why didn't you explain that before!?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot about it."

'He didn't have to yell at me, I just wanted to tell him about something great we have in this era,' Kagome thinks.

He looks at her and notices she seems sad, so he says, "Here, give me that thing."

She looks at him in surprise but then hands it to him.

He moves it around, and, after some trial and error, sees Kagome through what he thinks is what she called the lens.

'I wonder if this is how she did it,' he wonders.

He holds it steady, and presses the button.

He moves it down and passes it back to her.

Slightly blushing, he says, "Now there'll be one of you, too."

She smiles at him and, startling him, takes hold of his arm and quietly says, "Thank you, Inuyasha."

They walk together again, intermittently stopping to take pictures of each other, and asking other people to take pictures of them together.  Later, Kagome stops once again and looks to Inuyasha while she points at a store.

"Let's go in here, Inuyasha."

With a confused expression on his face, Inuyasha says, "What is this place?"

"It's a coffee house.  They serve coffee, hot cocoa, tea, and delicious desserts!"

He shrugs and says, "Ok."

With a broad smile, Kagome takes hold of his hand and leads him inside. 

She looks to him and says, "I think it'd be best to get you tea, but I would like you to try something new, too.  Hmm, I'll get you a slice of chocolate cake."

He says nothing but smiles slightly.  

When they approach the counter, Kagome says, "I'll have a hot cocoa and chocolate mousse with whipped cream.  He'll have a hot tea with a slice of chocolate cake."

The person at the counter takes the order and Kagome pays.

After Kagome gets them napkins and utensils, they carry their items to a table by the window and she smiles broadly as she begins.

"Mmm, delicious!" she says.

A little apprehensive, Inuyasha looks at the fork that Kagome gave him and asks, "What's this?"

Remembering that Inuyasha is used to eating with only chopsticks, she answers, "It's a fork.  Here, I'll show you how to hold it, it's pretty easy."

She picks up the fork in her right hand and displays to him how it should be held and how it's used to cut a bite from the piece.

"Here, now you try."

Still unsure, Inuyasha grabs hold of it in an awkward fashion and flails at the piece.  After a few tries, he becomes frustrated, so he clenches it in his fist and uses a powerful vertical motion to jam the fork into the piece, causing a large chunk to become attached to it.

He lifts it up with a proud expression and places it into his mouth.

'Well, I guess that's one way to do it,' Kagome thinks, stifling laughter.

As he chews, he says, "Wow, this is really sweet."

"Inuyasha, don't talk with your mouth full."

Not caring, after he swallows the piece, he sticks out his tongue at her.

She clenches her fist and looks angry as she says, "Inuyasha, I'll say 'it' if I have to!"

"Keh," he replies, but, after that point, makes sure that he swallows his food before saying anything. 

After they finish, they throw away their trash and place their used plates and cups in a bin. 

As they step out onto the sidewalk, Inuyasha says, "Kagome, what's a girlfriend?"


	7. An Evening Together Part II

Hello, here's the final chapter, enjoy.  I've put an author's note at the end.

**_ejqHorseLady_**: I'm sorry I misspelled your screenname, it should be correct now in this chapter and chapter 6.  Thank you for your review!

**_Arial265_**: Inuyasha and Kagome discuss the cake in this chapter. :)

**_Dragon Pearl1_**: Here's Kagome's answer. :)  This is the last chapter, sorry!

**_Cat_**: Thanks for reviewing, glad you're enjoying it.

**_comicfancat_**: Thanks for your comments, hope you and your sister like this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are the property of their respective owners.  This piece is not for profitable purposes.

Chapter 7: An Evening Together Part II 

She blushes slightly as she says, "Well, a girlfriend, it's part of dating.  You see, a boy and girl who care about each other go out, just the two of them, to places like the movies, the mall, or restaurants.  If they date each other a lot and not anyone else, they consider themselves boyfriend and girlfriend."

Her expression changes to one of surprise and concern and her eyes widen as she realizes, 'Where did Inuyasha hear that word from?'

Inuyasha nods his head and says, "So that's what that girl meant."

Kagome whirls around and clamps her hands on his shoulders as she shouts, "What girl?!"

He shrugs and says, "Keh, didn't care enough to ask her.  When I arrived at the party, she asked if I was alone.  When I told her I was looking for you, she got angry and said that you must be my girlfriend.  She was annoying."

"_Inuyasha, what did you answer when she said that?_" Kagome says in a furious tone.

Helooks away and his face reddens as he says, "Well, actually, I said you are my girlfriend."

She drops her arms to her sides and her head droops.

"Kagome?"

She deliberately takes a few steps back and screams, "OSUWARI!"

He crashes to the ground with a thud.  

He looks up at her and angrily shouts, "What was _that_ for?!"

"Osuwari, osuwari, _osuwari_!!!"

Three times in succession, he painfully slams into the hard ground.

As he struggles to get up, her mind races with thoughts, 'She'll probably tell _everyone_ at school and I'll _never_ hear the end of it, question after question, demands to talk about him, look at pictures, and even to _meet_ him!  How could this happen?'

"Inuyasha, how _could_ you?  You shouldn't have answered a question that you didn't understand!"

Angry and embarrassed, he says, "The word doesn't even make sense!  Why doesn't it mean a girl who's a friend?!"

She is shocked at first by his response, but an image of Kikyou enters her mind. 

'Of course he would say something like that, after all, we aren't, no – we can't be - boyfriend and girlfriend.  Inuyasha cares so much for Kikyou,' she thinks.

Seeing the expression upon her face, he realizes that his comment had unintentionally hurt her feelings.

She turns away from him and says, "We should be going back, it's almost my curfew."

Without waiting for a response, she begins to walk. 

He quickly walks in front of her, causing her to look up at him in surprise.

"Inuyasha?"

"I'm sorry, Kagome, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that.  Kagome, you're very important to me, and not because you can see the shards, either!"

Her face brightens slightly.

"I'm going to protect you, no matter what, because I don't want to lose someone so special to me."

She reaches out her hands and he takes hold of them, and each smiles for the other.

She blushes slightly and says, "Thank you, Inuyasha.  You're very special to me, too."

Embarrassed, she says, "What – what did you think of the cake and tea, Inuyasha?"

"That cake, I'd never had anything like it, you have some weird foods here."

"Weird?!"

'Uh oh,' he thinks.

"But – I mean – I _did_ like it though!" he continues.

She looks at him suspiciously with her arms crossed.

"Honestly!" he says, starting to sweat, half expecting her to say _that _word.

To his surprise, she starts laughing.

Confused, he says, "What?"

Through her laughter, she says, "Just the way that you looked.  I know you didn't mean it that way when you said it was weird."

Angered he says, "You made me worry for nothing then?"

"Worry?  Inuyasha, were you afraid I was going to say osuwari?"

He crashes to the ground once more.

Realizing her error, she says, "I'm sorry, Inuyasha!  I didn't mean it!"

He mutters under his breath as he stands.

Ashamed, she says, "I really am sorry, Inuyasha."

"Keh, something like that, it's no big deal for me."

She smiles and takes hold of his arm, surprising him.

She quietly says, "Let's walk like this the rest of the way home."

Finding himself unable to respond, he merely shakes his head yes. 

Taking in the lights and sounds silently, the two walk the remainder of the way to the shrine. 

He opens the door for her, and she smiles at him in thanks.

They walk through the door and Kagome's mother looks up from the book she is reading.

"Kagome-chan, Inuyasha, welcome home!"

"Good to see you, too, Mama."

"Thanks."

Kagome's mother looks to Inuyasha and says, "I'm glad that you were able to find her."

He looks away, his face slightly red, and says, "Yeah."

Kagome's mother laughs quietly while both Kagome and Inuyasha blush.

Kagome's mother looks at him and says, "It's late, you can stay the night if you'd like."

"Thanks," he answers.  

Kagome says to both of them, "I'm going to get ready for bed now."

Kagome's mother shakes her head and looks to Inuyasha as she says, "Souta showed you how to use the bath and sink before, didn't he?"

Inuyasha says, "Yeah."

"Good, then you can go after Kagome."

He nods his head in response as Kagome heads to the bathroom. 

After a few mishaps on Inuyasha's part because he had forgotten some of what Souta had taught him, Inuyasha and Kagome enter Kagome's room, Inuyasha back in his usual clothes.  

He sits and leans up against the wall while she pulls the covers down.  Worried that he may become cold, she takes an extra blanket from her closet and unfolds it as she presents it to him.  

"Here, Inuyasha," she says with a smile.

"Oh, thanks," he answers as he takes hold of it and covers himself with it. 

Kagome climbs into bed and pulls the covers up. 

She turns her head so that she is facing him and says, "What are your plans for tomorrow, Inuyasha?"

He looks at her and answers, "I'm going back tomorrow.  I'll be back to normal, and I know that you have your tests."

"I appreciate that you came to visit me, Inuyasha."

"I – I'm glad that I came, too."

Blushing, she says, "We should do this again."

He reddens as he answers, "Sure."

Each smiles at the prospect, and she says, "Good night, Inuyasha."

"Good night, Kagome."

Each soon drifts into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of the time they shared that day.

_Author's Note_:

Thanks to all for reading and reviewing, hope you liked the story!  I've written one other Inuyasha story if you'd like to read more.  It's called "Across Lives, Across Time."  I am also considering writing sometime in the near future a companion piece to "The Modern Worl-wind" about what goes on in the Warring States Period (focusing on Sango and Miroku) during the events of "The Modern Worl-wind."

Fans of Fruits Basket may enjoy my stories, "A Solitary Freedom," "A New Day," and "A Lovely Afternoon."  I likely will write another FB story for my next piece, a prequel to "A Solitary Freedom" and "A New Day," tentatively titled "An Inescapable Destiny."  

Fans of Wolf's Rain (of Hubb and Cher specifically) may enjoy my story, "My Love, My Life."  

Finally, fans of RahXephon may enjoy my stories, "Lost Melody," "The Boy on the Beach," "A World with You," "My Beloved," and "A Moment in Time."


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